Before the Pain
by Jokersaccomplice
Summary: I don't know if that's a completly appropriate title but it works. This is a Drac and Aleera focused work so if you don't like 'em don't read this ! PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: don't own but then who does? ;)

A.N. : I was just thinking as I read one fic about how put down Aleera is most of the time when historically I think she was his most coveted bride (I don't know her "real" name). So I just thought (for the sake of doing another dracy fic) that I'd favor her for once...here goes

A deep humid wind furrowed in through the window tossing up silken curtains and abandoned leaves. Near imperceptible footsteps grew near from the hall leading into an elegant library.

In strode a beautifully dressed woman, maroon curls draped on her shoulders. Her head was crowned with a small silver circlet. Her lavish gown of gold and ivory glimmered in the rosy firelight causing her pallid, smooth features to become more shadowed and eerie.

She slowed her step as the intricate carpet muffled her footsteps. A small, near childish grin curved her sultry lips obscuring her feirce visage. She disappered for a moment her speed too great for anything short of preternatural eyes to detect. IN an instant she had her hands clasped around the eyes of a stern dark haired man. His hair was gracing the sides of his rigid, seemingly dark expression. In his hands was a thick tome of which he was a little more than half way into. "Guess who..." came the rich succulent, siren-esque voice. It appeared to have little affect as he replied lowly "Can't you see I am trying to read, Aleera".

Though she had been scorned she still smiled relieving her hands from his face and taking a seat in an armchair near to him. "But my Prince Dracul could you not permit me a simple game of my enjoyment." She drew up one long nailed finger to stroke her bottom lip as she spoke thus. Dracul's eyes fluttered towards her direction but quickly returned to the yellowed pages. "Your petty entertainments are childish and impertanent" he replied. "If you wish me to keep to myself then I shall!" she said her voice filled with laughter and false anger. Aleera stared at the ever changing flames watching them flicker and dive about one another.

Dracula's deep green orbs left the cramped scrpit once more. He traced her elegant features and confusing expression of undeadly ferocity and strange buoyant happiness. "What is it that sparks up a smile to your face my dearest?" he finally asked avoiding her intoxicating smile. She turned slowly to face him as if he'd said something horrible to her. Aleera only snorted and smirked returing her gaze to whence it had come. Drac closed the book and laid it aside. He allowed his dexetrous fingers to comb through his hair thoughtfully. "Ah!" he announced after a moment of contemplation. "Our anniversary, when I first, in our first lives, took you up in my arms!" he smiled a smile of victory and possibly joy.

Aleera swiveled around and rose to join him. "Yes my sweet Prince!" she sat on the arm of his chair and leaned forward to brush his hairs with her hands. "I knew it must be important" he somewhat chuckled,"for you are not oft seen smiling...". "Yes, it is also not oft you let your hair down my lord..." she giggled. "Still you seem wildly uncharacteristic, is there something else I must know about?"

She stood on the carpet again not facing him. "What is it!" he demanded joining her angst gripping him. Aleera daren't look at him. "Tell me!" he said feeling a smirk lift the corner of his fanged mouth. "You remember last night..." she started occasionally glancing over at him as he drew up next to her. "How could I possibly forget" he answered encircling her in his arms and gently kissing her neck. She sighed happily, but continued "How we coupled in the moonlight" "Yes and what again is that what you want?" he questioned stroking her arms and stomach causing the fabric of her dress to rustle.

"I'm certain I would not complain my lord" she answered huskily, "But that is not why I am so jubilant". "Then what is it dearest?" Aleera turned to face him her arms about his neck. Her eyes fell than met his, she could read the anxiety within them. She took one of his ashen hands in her own and traced it down her front till it rested on her womb. "You!" he gasped his hand pressing against her. Her cheerful grin turned into one of love and subdued joy. He drew her against himself in a hug. "My darling! You have been blessed! You do not know how much this means to me!" "I believe I do...otherwise I would not have persued telling you in such a fashion". He laughed, or rather chuckled but whatever the noise it filled Aleera with an emotion she could scarce name. "My God how I love you" he proclaimed pulling her away so he could look upon her delicate features. Dracul kissed his bride passionatly. "To know that you will be the bearer of my first born is more than I could ever hope for." Tears pricked Aleera's eyes as he spoke causing her beloved's face to blur.

"Come let us celebrate before Sol ruins everything!" she smiled and laughed at his words and they left the room in silence, but a silence filled with a passion and joy that would be unattainable in latter years. One that would diminsh as the discovery was made that her cild would be stillborn until revived by machine. One that would be abdicated as the fustrations of survival and eternity would wear on all. One that was too wonderful to every be obtained again...

A.N.: and there we go...obviously this is set before most of the other junk happens. Pretty much when he first gets life back and is still somewhat of a "happy" person...well please review...maybe I'll add more chapters...still...I NEED INPUT! so reiview! BAI!


	2. Birth

Disclaimer: Dracy still not mine...but I'm working on it...grrr

A.N.: This is for all the people (3) that reviewed! here you go! There are probably a lot of typos...

An angry roar filled the entire left wing of the castle. The trembling midwife swallowed hard terrified of the struglging mother. "push just a little more my dear" she mumbled Aleera doing so let loose another bellow. "very good..." "How...Much...Longer!" Aleera screamed. Her clenched fists bleed freely and had been for some time. "There I can see it!" a wave of relief swept through the poor old midwife How did I get choosen for this she reached for the child now appearing. Aleera clenched the bed posts and wailed finally reliving the parasite from her body. The old woman began scrubbing off the child. ALeera gasped for air, not that she really needed it, and tried to collect her thoughts as spots flickered before her eyes. The woman clothed the child, she paused in her work it isn't...screaming...in fact... she started again much slower. Aleera finally put a hand to her head and leaned on an elbow. "How...is my child?" she gasped still not fully recovered.

"Well..." the midwife muttered wondering what in the world she could do. Sensing her anxiety Aleera's brows knitted and her hand lashed out turning the woman around and snatching her child away. "Why are you so hesitant..." she drew away the cloth covering the child's face. Her expression froze her hand trembled ever so slightly and red began to tinge her eyes. "No" she declared evenly. The young child's flesh instead of a healthy rose color was pale gray and it's eyes already sunken in. It's eyes were filmy and only dark circles filled them. It's lifeless hand was slightly stiff and some of it's flesh ahd already decayed. Aleera's lip began to move her fangs extended in anger though her eyes only displayed open terror and horrification. "This can't be...my child couldn't be..." a low wail escaped her throat. The wail became a shriek of pain and grief, it would drive even banshees to cry tears of mournful anguish.

Prince Dracula raced down the hallways. He had heard his beloved's cry it had driven a spike into his heart splitting it in thousands of shards. He had been tlaking with Verona in the library. They had been discussing political value ina fecdulastic society, he always beamed with the way they could talk about issuses he had only ever been able to present with advisors and other rulers, but ont even they understood half of what he said. But she, she could truely carry on a meangingful conversation one to keep him occupied for hours on end.

Not now though, now he ran panicked and shaken any indombitable air he held shattered, decimated beyond reason. FInally reaching the place where Aleera lay he thrust the door open smashing it into the wall. "What my darling what is it!" his voice was strong though he was out of breath. She sat in a fear that sent shivers down his spine. The midwife lay on the ground pale and shaking from Aleera's cry of bereavment. He sauntered over slowly hesitant to lay eyes on what had mortified his beloved wife. Her face turned to his her mouth agape and blood streaking her cheeks chin and bosom. Her eyes were wide and her pupils dilated. Her hands twitched and as he looked into what she held in them he understood why she was in such a state. "oh my dear god..." he whsipered unable to make his voice any more audible. He took the thing from her and stared at it with disparaging eyes. "I am so sorry..." he said not really directing it to anyone.

He began to walk to the door. Aleera's hands shot up grabbing hold of her crimson hair she clamped her eyes closed and gritted her teeth together letting out another scream of rage and confusion. He gently closed the dorr with his foot behind him. The empty halls echoed his footsteps back as he strode totally absent of all feeling. How can this be? Does my undead state and the rebirth of my darlings make their children deceased? His eyes stung but he couldn't pull them from the dead crospe of his only child. Dracul pulled the child close to his breast willing it to live though it was purely beyond any such state. Neverthless the wounded prince crushed it's small form to himself. His eys sealed shut letting loose the same red tears he had seen covering Aleera. His mouth pulsed lightly and he collapsed onto his knees. "Why did you let this befall her! Why can they not live in peace! Inflict your wrath upon me, I'm the one who desecrated your name!" his head fell forward the dark bangs that generally decorated his face reaching limply for the stones he knelt upon.

The child slipped from his grasp and fell sickly before him. As he squinted to see it he noticed a thick slime covering the small figure. Cocking his head to one side he stroked the sticky substance. "Are you perserving yourself?" he asked it thinking back to what he learned many animals did so as to prevent attack while they changed. "Is this so we can find away to make you breath? Is it possible?" suddenly grief was stricken from his mind and it reeled with the prospect of reviving his little child. At the thought a name came to him. A master of sciences he had heard of the man only once. But he could just be the key...maybe HE knew of a way..."Aleera I promise you will see your child breath one day". A familar smile took place of his sadness "Yes...I have a visit to make..."

A.N.: there number two! Review! It was kinda crappy wasn't it...


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